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Ghana to host Africa’s creative elite as AMC Season 3 welcomes President Mahama’s 2027 AU chairmanship
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Ghana is set to host the highly anticipated third season of the Africa Monologue Challenge (AMC), a landmark event that brings together the continent’s most promising creative talents in a celebration of Pan-African storytelling, cultural exchange, and economic integration.
The season, themed “Using Africa’s Creative Economy to Promote Intra-African Trade,” aligns with Ghana’s growing role as a hub for continental integration and comes as the nation prepares to celebrate President John Dramani Mahama’s assumption of the African Union Chairmanship in 2027.
The Africa Monologue Challenge, which was initiated by MK Casting in partnership with the African Chamber of Content Producers (ACCP) and the National Film Authority of Ghana, has quickly become a premier platform for discovering and nurturing African creative talent.
Season 1, held in Ghana, saw an Ugandan emerge as the winner. Season 2, hosted in Uganda under the auspices of the President of Uganda and the Uganda Communications Commission, witnessed an Ivorian finalist, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Francophonie, take the crown.
Though Ivory Coast, through its Ministry, was originally scheduled to host Season 3, the Ministry and the organizers mutually agreed to shift the event to Ghana.
This decision allows the Ivorian finalist to symbolically present the torch to the next winner in Ghana, celebrating Ghana’s upcoming AU chairmanship in 2027 and reinforcing the spirit of continental solidarity that the AMC embodies.
Season 3 of the Africa Monologue Challenge is currently under the auspices of the Diaspora Affairs Office of the President, the National Film Authority of Ghana, the Ghana Tourism Authority, and the Africa Prosperity Network, with support from the Black Star International Film Festival, Creators Festival, Bombo Investments, Platinum Bay Hotel, the International Expat Center, and other valued partners.
The program will bring together 12 finalists from across Africa and the diaspora for a transformative one-month Pan-African House residency in Ghana. Participating countries include Ghana as the host nation, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia, Kenya, Botswana, the Republic of Congo, Benin, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and a representative from the United States diaspora.
During their residency, the finalists will engage in a rich program of activities designed to deepen their understanding of Pan-Africanism, build cross-cultural bonds, and equip them with skills for the creative economy.
Daily sessions exploring the history, philosophy, and contemporary relevance of Pan-Africanism will foster a shared continental identity among the participants, while tours of Ghana’s iconic heritage sites,including the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles, the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, and other cultural landmarks will promote Ghana’s tourism offerings and position the finalists as ambassadors for the country’s rich cultural heritage.
Each finalist will also have the opportunity to present their home country to fellow participants and invited guests, showcasing their nation’s culture, tourism potential, and investment opportunities in dedicated country marketing sessions.
Beyond cultural immersion, the residency will feature engagements with renowned Ghanaian entrepreneurs and business leaders, providing practical insights into business development, branding, and the realities of building a creative enterprise.
The finalists will also interact with traditional rulers and cultural custodians to deepen their understanding of African customs, governance systems, and the role of tradition in contemporary African identity, while meetings with members of the diplomatic community in Ghana will offer lessons in international relations, cultural diplomacy, and the strategic use of soft power to advance Africa’s interests on the global stage.
According to the organizers, the residency will culminate in the production of a feature short film, created collaboratively by the finalists and Ghanaian creatives.
The film will be submitted to international festivals as a powerful reflection of Africa’s solidarity and shared creative vision, while also marketing Ghana as the host country and a premier destination for creative collaboration and business investment.
Other key events during the finalists’ month-long stay in Ghana will include the Pan-African Actors Masterclass, facilitated by MK Casting in partnership with the Casting Society of America (CSA) and the International Casting Directors Association (ICDA), as well as the Africa Image Conference, facilitated by the African Chamber of Content Producers(ACCP) and Africa Image Ambassadors.
The AMC Season 3 Grand Finale will be a spectacular showcase of African talent, featuring the 12 finalists competing for the coveted crown.
Beyond the individual winner, the finale will also determine which country will host Season 4 of the Africa Monologue Challenge, continuing the tradition of rotating the event across the continent and strengthening the bonds of creative collaboration between African nations.
The AMC Season 3 committee brings together some of Africa’s most respected figures in the creative industry.
Veteran media personality and Chairman of the ACCP Media and Cultural Sector, Harold Roger Quartey, who is leading efforts to assist the African Union and the President in achieving the objectives that led to the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), emphasized the importance of the AMC.
“The Africa Monologue Challenge discovers talent, tells our stories, and builds the bridges that will make the AfCFTA a reality,” Mr Roger Quartey stated.
Madam Juliet Asante, a committee member and founder of the Black Star International Film Festival, revealed that they are working together to harness Africa’s soft power for the benefit of the continent and its people.
“We are using the creative economy to project a united Africa to the world. The AMC is a reflection of what we can achieve when we work together.”
Other distinguished committee members include Fred Nii Amugi, veteran Ghanaian actor; Caleb Kwaku Afaglo, President of the Chamber of Digital Assets and Blockchain Innovations (CDABI); Dr. Nana Owusu Ensaw, renowned medical practitioner and entrepreneur; Mawuko Kuadzi, CEO of MK Casting and the first African to win the Artios Award in its 40-year history; Myna Otoo, renowned Ghanaian filmmaker and entrepreneur; Peter Ritchie, renowned Ghanaian actor and insurance expert; Nana Kofi Opoku-Agyemang, Director of International Expat Center; Barima Amoaning Samuel, founder and CEO of Entamoty Media Limited; and Nana Dwomoh-Doyen Benjamin, President of the African Chamber of Content Producers.
The Africa Monologue Challenge has consistently championed the theme of intra-African trade, recognizing the creative economy as a powerful vehicle for economic integration and cultural exchange.
By bringing together creatives from across the continent, the AMC fosters the networks and collaborations that are essential for building a unified African market.
Members of the ACCP across the world have already expressed excitement about the prospects the AMC will unlock for Africa’s creative economy.
The challenge is expected to generate significant economic activity, create opportunities for collaboration, and project a positive image of Africa to the global community.
According to the coalition of Africa Image Ambassadors, AMC Season 3 is a practical step towards building a connected African creative industry.
The challenge is expected to generate new collaborations, showcase African talent to a global audience, and demonstrate the economic potential of the continent’s creative economy and soft power activation.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Mr Issahak Ibrahim, the Atwima Mponua District Chief Executive (DCE), has stressed the need to invest in initiatives that will encourage school children to read at all times.
He said a nation that invested in reading invested in its future, since a reading child was a potential future leader.
Speaking at the District Reading Festival for 32 schools in the district, at Nyinahin, he said reading strengthened literacy skills and inspired young leaders to unlock their full potentials while nurturing a lifelong love for learning, which leads to success.
Mr Ibrahim, therefore, enjoined teachers, parents, pupils and all stakeholders in the district to inspire every child to discover the limitless possibilities that begin with the act of reading in order to make it reflect the shared commitment to building a generation of confident readers, critical thinkers and lifelong learners in the society.
He pledged his commitment to support and empower more children and help them to achieve higher educational laurels in the area, while championing the cause of reading among children to achieve the related benefits.
“I remain committed to supporting educational initiatives that would empower our children with the knowledge and skills they needed to succeed in an ever-changing world,” he stated.
The festival was organised by the District Directorate of Education in conjunction with the ISMAT Foundation, a local educational non-governmental organisation (NGO) founded by the DCE, to support needy learners in the district and beyond.
The festival was under the theme: “Turn a page to begin a journey.”
The festival was aimed at encouraging and motivating the interest of pupils in reading and general learning.
All the 32 participating pupils from four zones within the district received school bags, exercise books, pens, pencils, erasers, mathematical sets and certificates.
Lawal Kwame from the Botrampa D/A Basic and Sadique Bamba from the Mpasatia African Faith Preparatory schools in the Nyinahin Zone, emerged first in the KG One and two classes, whilst Alice Fosu, Beatrice Sarfowaa and Priscilla Agyemang from the Adiembra Anglican Basic School also in the Nyinahin Zone, came first from Basic One to Basic Three classes respectively.
Ernest Duah from the Mampong Abebrese D/A and Blessing Sika from the Sreso Presby School in the Sreso Zone as well as Eric Osei Agyemang from Adiembra Anglican Basic School came first in the Upper Primary department.
Ms Ama Adwubi Asafu-Adjaye, the District Director of Education, commended the DCE for the programme, which was the first of its kind after the year 2022 one, which was supported by the USAID.
She said a Basic One boy called Obed Awuku from Mampong Abebrese D/A Basic School climbed from the district through a Regional contest, won and placed second at the national level in the year 2022 as one Salam Mohammed of the Otaakrom D/A Islamic Basic School, who also emerged as the 2024 winner in the district also placed fifth among the 16 regional participants even though they had a very short notice for preparation.
She said other achievements encouraged her and her management to make the programme an annual event in June and July as part of the activities on their academic calendar and a source of pride for the district.
She, therefore, encouraged the teachers to work harder to produce talented kids for higher achievements from the area. -GNA
The forecourt of the Gbewaa Palace, was a mixture of rich tradition and emotional scenes as thousands of mourners concluded the three-day adua for the late Overlord of Dagbon, Ndan Yaa Naa Abukari II.
For the period, the Gbewaa Palace became the spiritual and cultural heartbeat of the Dagbon Kingdom as Islamic clerics, traditional rulers, politicians, security personnel and ordinary citizens united in prayer for the repose of the soul of the revered monarch.
From dawn each day, streams of mourners, mostly dressed in traditional smocks and black attire, steadily filled the palace grounds and adjoining streets, transforming the royal seat into a sea of mourners.
Men, women, youth and children sat under canopies and open spaces while verses from the Holy Qur’an echoed across the palace, creating an atmosphere of reverence and reflection.
The air occasionally reverberated with ceremonial gunshots and traditional warrior displays, symbolising honour, bravery and the rich cultural heritage of the Dagbon Kingdom.
The adua, observed in accordance with Islamic tradition following the burial of the Yaa Naa, was attended by eminent Imams and Mallams who offered continuous prayers, seeking Allah’s mercy and eternal peace for the departed King.
Throughout the three-day observance, a steady flow of dignitaries visited the Gbewaa Palace to pay their respects and sign the book of condolence.
Among them were the Northern Regional Minister, Ali Adolf John Mburidiba; the Savannah Regional Minister, Salisu Be-Awuribe Issifu; and the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who joined members of the royal family, traditional rulers and mourners in honouring the late Yaa Naa.
Security remained tight throughout the mourning period, with the Ghana Police Service deploying 450 personnel to ensure law and order.
The officers were stationed at strategic locations, including the Gbewaa Palace, major entry points into Yendi and other key installations, where they managed traffic, maintained public order and provided security for thousands of mourners and visiting dignitaries.
Beyond the official ceremonies, the event reflected the deep respect the people of Dagbon and Ghanaians at large had for the late monarch.
The conclusion of the three-day adua marks another important milestone in the funeral rites of the late Yaa Naa and signals the gradual transition towards the customary processes leading to the selection and enskinment of a new Overlord of the Dagbon Kingdom.
Although the formal three-day prayers have ended, mourning activities continue, with the seventh-day Islamic prayers expected to draw another large gathering of traditional authorities, government officials, religious leaders and well-wishers from across the country.
From: Geoffrey Buta, Yendi
